The Final Obstacle

[Tehkyram]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c6uMbP4--E​

Objective: Prepare for arrival.
Allies: [member=Taeli Raaf]

Over the often-overlooked planet of Amaltanna, an Iota-Class Heavy Shuttle dropped out of hyperspace, beginning its descent to the planet. The shuttle's crew was overjoyed to see the planet, relieved that their stressful journey was almost over. A pungent, heavy miasma coated the entire vessel interior, creeping out from the cargo hold and into every other aspect of the ship's hull. The entire vessel reeked of death and decay. It had everyone on edge and ill-at-ease.

The contents of the cargo hold were twofold. First and most obvious, was the rotting corpse of a Felucian Bull Rancor, with only the bare minimum effort going into preserving it. It was the primary source of the stench. But at the same time, there was another, more malicious figure in the hold. It was the Sith Acolyte Tehkyram, a massive, hulking mass of a Karkarodon. It was Tehkyram who had slain the beast, tearing off its tusk and jamming it through the eye and into the brain. Now, en route to Amaltanna, the killer had spent the entire voyage pensively meditating, absorbing the miasma and focusing on it. He had a macabre fixation on violent and gruesome death that bordered on obsession, and so he wanted to intimately feel the breakdown of a dead body. It was a maddening ordeal, and periodically large thuds could be heard from the hold as Tehkyram's meditation transitioned into a maniac state, past traumas coming to light. And indeed, the crew strongly suspected that Tehkyram's meditation was somehow amplifying and empowering the smell, as well as messing with their emotions in some way.

As the ship prepared to enter the atmosphere, Tehkyram took a brief moment to remember his master's edict, his last command before Tehkyram formally advanced into becoming a Sith Knight.

"Go and take your kill to the planet Amaltanna, where Darth Arcanix, the Lady of Secrets, resides. Present yourself and your prey to her as a gift from me. Obey her every command and study under her well. Under her hand, show your worth by creating a set of armor from the corpse's skin and a blade from its bone. Do all this, and you shall be worthy of knighthood."

Tehkyram's body reflexively twitched with nervous anticipation. This was the final trial before he would become a Knight of the Sith, a blade of the Emperor's will. He had accomplished great and terrible things so far, but after this, he would accomplish even greater horrors for sure. As the shuttle entered the atmosphere, he resumed his meditation and observation. He could feel that familiar dark void surrounding him, taking hold of him. He tried to orient himself to the darkness, attune himself to death. This was the struggle he had spent hours upon hours with, sometimes lashing out when he felt the void try to grip him in the wrong way. And he returned to this struggle, passing the time as the ship made its way towards the dominion of Darth Arcanix.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Tehkyram"]

It had been an odd request to be sure. One of the... lesser? Sith Masters in the Empire had requested she oversee and assist with the acolyte's final trial before rising to the level of Sith Knight. She had, of course, agreed to do so for a favor, and if there was one thing Sith never enjoyed it was being indebted to another. That agreement would likely come back to haunt him. Still, she was curious to see who this acolyte might be, what they had learned, how they bore themselves, and oh so much more. She was always curious after all.

Standing on the landing pad to her personal laboratory, she waited with two of her Adepts as the Iota-class shuttle neared. She could sense... a miasma slowly issuing from it, one that could be... properly cultivated in time.

"Crude, I sense crudeness," the Miraluka behind her whispered.

"Perhaps," Taeli replied. "We shall see."

 

[Tehkyram]

Objective: Present yourself to your proctor.
Allies: [member=Taeli Raaf]

The shuttle touched down on the landing pad. As Tehkyram felt solid ground beneath him, he arose, opening his eyes. The trance broken, he made sure his ragged and worn robes were in order, and then proceeded to the main shuttle bay doors. As the bulk door opened, the thick, noxious cloud of purple miasma began to rush out of the opening, into the atmosphere of Amaltanna. Tehkyram walked through the purple haze and down the ramp. Around him the shuttle crew scrambled to offload the carcass, lifting the hovertray up and having it follow him.

The acolyte proceeded down the ramp and out onto the pad, the corpse behind him. He kept his head down and his pace steady and measured, perfectly in tune with Sith etiquette. He didn't need to see where Arcanix was, he could feel her. There was something curious and probing about her, as if she was already burning a hole through his flesh and into his soul. But she wasn't alone. Two assistants of her own were flanking her. They too were assessing him, though their gaze was more superficial, not going as deep. He continued to move towards them, coming to a stop just in front of the Lady of Secrets. The shuttle crew stopped behind him, confused at the arcane rite, but staying in place and awaiting orders. From there, Tehkyram assumed the proper position of submission, dropping down on one knee, arms down and outstretched, back and neck parallel to the ground. His posture and form was utterly impeccable, shaped by his own rigid, restrained nature. Likewise, his recital of the proper greeting showed an astonishing education.

"Darth Amortem bids you dark tidings, esteemed one. He offers you as tribute this trophy, and a lease of this servant. In exchange he requests you faithfully honor your arrangement and help complete the work that he has begun. May these gifts serve you well."

He remained in place, staying in the position as he awaited her orders, suppressing and quelling any of his own anticipation so as to maintain proper decorum. Meanwhile, the shuttle crew carrying the corpse remained in place, awkwardly unsure about what to do as the formalities played out.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Tehkyram"]

Her eyes widened ever so slightly, then narrowed as she took in the sight of the acolyte and his... ugh he had let it rot? Honestly, there were ways to preserve these things. A small application of the Force dealt with the smell as she awaited the Karkarodon. When he neared her, he began prostrating before her and she had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. The greeting revealed far too much for what this Amortem had done to this acolyte and apprentice of his.

And she had to suppress the sneer and exasperation.

"Oh that's enough, on your feet acolyte," she said, gesturing with her hand. "Your master should be well aware I don't care much for such formalities, they equally show his weakness in clinging to such traditions and the weakness he has imparted upon you by chaining you to them as well."

She was being overly harsh, to begin with, but she felt this being had potential if he could shake off the shackles his master had fashioned for him. Respect your betters, yes, but don't do it in such a way a slave would pay tribute to his or her master. To prove her point, she tapped the hilt of her lightsaber to the back of his neck.

"Show respect, but never lower yourself into such a position. Now, come. We shall see if we can craft these armaments you desire and if we can correct some of your lessons."

 

[Tehkyram]

Objective: Follow your proctor.
Allies: [member=Taeli Raaf]

"As you wish," Tehkyram announced as he stood to follow her. He was in a binding situation, and mentally, he litigated the situation. Should he strike at Lady Arcanix for insulting the honor of Lord Amortem? Since she freed him from formality, it seemed to be the most obvious and immediate impulse. If decorum was irrelevant, why not default to destruction? But no, Lady Arcanix had freed him from decorum as it related to her. An incident would undoubtedly clash with the more binding will of his master, and as such, he should endure.

As he followed her, he opted to move ahead to business. "The body has underwent considerable putrefaction, but only the organs and muscle. The skin is still preserved, and the bone is in good quality. Aside from that, it is still sterile and clean to work with. I only require a set of armor made from the leather, and a blade cut from the bone." As for the corrections, he had no real idea as to what that would entail. Presumably more indignities and suffering as per the will of his master, and the general nature of being alive. He would suffer, and bear that burden, and then someday he would revenge himself upon all which inflicted that suffering upon him. But for now? Now he would follow along.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Tehkyram"]

"I can see that," she simply responded. She was... unsure why the acolyte had not simply skinned the corpse, extracted the larger bones and teeth of the beast, and then fed what was left to the beasts of war the Sith Empire had. More process, yes, but a thorough lesson in anatomy was never amiss, plus it also revealed whether an individual had the patience for such delicate and meticulous work. Even bringing the whole corpse, why allow it to rot? There were several preservation techniques available through technology, and she could hardly imagine Lord Amortem neglecting the education of his apprentice by not teaching stasis techniques or spells through the Force.

"What are you hoping to imbue into this armor and weapon?" she asked as they walked. "Your master would send you to me unless these items are going to have some special properties."

Normal alchemical alterations honestly bored her. They didn't stretch the knowledge of the Sith performing the work, nor did they truly make something unique.

 

[Tehkyram]

Objective: Honesty is the best policy.
Allies: [member=Taeli Raaf]

"As per the specifications that have been prepared, I believe that..." No, no no, he was doing it all wrong. Tehkyram shook his head. He could only obey orders by disregarding his restraints. He needed to do the opposite of what he normally would. Be brutally honest, entirely unfiltered. He took a deep breath and inhaled the cold, sterile air around him. Then, he began to spill his guts:

"I despise the very idea of life itself. Beauty, reason, and justice as the living know it only serve to offend me. I am attuned to death, destruction, pestilence and extinction. The glorious atrocity on Commenor awakened something in me, and gave me purpose. I aim to become a force of extermination, annihilating all life. I will be the Empire's greatest weapon, an instrument of limitless carnage. I intend to hone my body, mind, and spirit into an instrument of slaughter. And as such, all things around me must be one, united in our sacred condemnation of life and sanctification of death. Through the skin of the beast I will devolve into a beast, a singleminded, unstoppable killing machine. With the bone of the beast I will drain the blood from cadavers and strip the flesh from their bones as my communion with the abyss. And through my descent into bestial deathlust, I will ascend into a higher form of being."

It felt so strange to say. His master would mock him for such sincerity, belittling his desires and passions. But it was true. It was what he felt. And as he uttered every word in his blasphemous thesis, he could feel his skin tingle with darkly pleasurable energy. It was as if he was stripping his robes and bearing his flesh to her, presenting himself in the totality. No pretenses, no formalities, no restrictions, it was as intoxicating as the smells of the battlefield. Yes, he was learning! He was learning quite a bit!

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Tehkyram"]

There it was, nice, crisp, and refreshing honesty. She wondered if his little speech was the first time he had spoken his beliefs out loud, expressing his desires and wishes for what he wanted to become. They weren't exactly a philosophy she could agree with, but it wasn't her place to instruct the acolyte on his personal beliefs. If anything, she would have encouraged him to become his own being and bring his own interpretation of the Sith code to the table. A warrior like him would prove a valuable asset... once his chains were broken.

"Honesty with one's self, spoken aloud, is the first step to properly forsaking the chains cast on you," she said as they moved through the facility proper now. "I commend you for such. It makes our work here today that much easier to accomplish."

Could she create whatever armor and weapon he wanted from the carcass being hauled behind them? Yes, she could. Would she? Now how would that be a learning experience for the acolyte? She would be here to guide, to correct his mistakes if made, and provide some much-needed power and expertise to the proceedings. But to make the armor and weapon truly unique, the acolyte was going to learn how to bring that truth he just uttered into physical form.

 

[Tehkyram]

Objective: Proceed with the preparations.
Allies: [member=Taeli Raaf]

As Tehkyram followed Taeli, he observed his surroundings. There was something unclean, perhaps even grotesque about the lab. Indeed, in many ways it felt like a temple of perversity, a vessel launched deep into forbidden space uncovering horrible wisdom. The vileness of the whole facility, the dedication to wisdom in order to actively degrade existence, it was enticing, no, encouraging. As Tehkyram inhaled Taeli's scent, he also took in what he felt like was her intention, a message that she exfoliated from her own body. He knew, to some degree, what she wanted. And who was he to deny her?

"I have read the proper texts to understand the technical aspect of my task. I believe that the blade would be a better starting point for me, as it requires simple carving and whittling. Provided the tusk and the proper tools, I can begin at any time." Would a question suffice? Perhaps it would. No, a question was too weak-willed and servile. Perhaps he should make a demand of her? Yes, such force early on would be a proper test of his new freedom. Probe the limits, find the boundaries. "I expect that you will personally will supervise my work as per your end of the agreement. Should you attempt to short-thrift myself or my master with a stand-in, I will return them to you in pieces." And then an afterthought: "Though should the working require a blood sacrifice, their support would be welcome." He smiled in a gruesome sort of rictus, showcasing his killing intent.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Tehkyram"]

"Reading about the proper procedure and actually performing it are two very different things," Taeli responded, smiling thinly as the Karkarodon acolyte made the offhand threat to kill anyone who might watch if she was called away to other business. Presumptious, bold to threaten the well being of anyone who would serve her. An almost insatiable bloodlust, likely from his master's teachings and natural predator instincts. All of the shark people she had met had indulged in those instincts, although the previous ones had been lawyers.

"We will require two different parts of blood for this particular alchemical altering," she said, leaving the challenge unaddressed. She was unconcerned about it. "One spilled in hatred and one from yourself."

She opened a door, and led him and the carcass into a smaller alchemy lab. It would have everything he required: a deep basin for the blood, carving and skinning tools, various pieces of metal, other various potions and elixirs that Taeli had developed herself to be added into the blood mixture... and a Jedi, bound against the wall, captured from the recent campaigns against the League of Voss, what was left of them anyway.

"Impress me, Acolyte," she said.

 

[Tehkyram]

Objective: Forge the Blade.
Allies: [member=Taeli Raaf]

Preparing himself for the first drawing of blood, Tehkyram removed his heavier robes, exposing his shirtless, tattooed body. It was almost a sort of warning to the technicians, who set the rancor carcass down before scampering out of the workshop and closing the door behind them. A pity, they would have proven to be useful should more blood be required. But enough frivolities. His final trial had begun. Stepping up to the wall with the chained Jedi, Tehkyram telekinetically summoned the void and a nice and jagged razor. Positioning the basin just perfectly below the chained Jedi, he pressed the razor up against the throat, and...

No, he just wasn't feeling the hate. This was too cold, too clinical. It needed to be more visceral.

Tehkyram lowered the razor and looked the captured Jedi in the eyes. Using the force he reached out, trying to feel him. He couldn't smell his captive's fear. No, it was defiance, a bold acceptance of his fate. How pitiful. He pressed on a bit deeper, and the Jedi was astonishingly reticent, inviting his own executioner into his mind. For a brief period, the two conversed in abstract thoughts and feelings, direct transmissions of pure feeling. It was an intimate and frank discussion, a genuine exchange. The two bared their souls to each other in what was undoubtedly a profound exchange. Genuinely moved by the exchange, Tehkyram blinked, and took a deep, contemplative sigh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6apG2HUxP2s​

Then, with a sudden and vicious fury, the Karkarodon snapped his head forward and tore into the Jedi's throat with his teeth. With a second jerk he pulled his head back, successfully ripping the victim's throat out in a vicious spectacle. The blood poured out from his wound and down into the basin. At the same time, Tehkyram spat the bloody flesh he had chewed out into the basin. Then, taking the razor, he slashed his own forearm, striking his basilic vein to considerable effect.

Tehkyram made no effort to stop the bleeding. Rather, he extended it over the basin and let the blood pour out and mix in with the blood of the Jedi. As he did, he gazed upon Taeli, his black eyes wide with malice. His entire body was pulsating, as if the sudden and feral kill and subsequent wound had awoken his primordial killing frenzy. And there was a part of him demanding that he pounce at her and claim her neck next, to put a look of fear on that cold, indifferent face. But he stayed put. She would have her time, everyone would. For now, he was content to let his blood spill out into the basin, draining himself.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Tehkyram"]

Well... that was one way to do it. Taeli watched as the acolyte regarded the captive and then proceeded to bite out his neck. Blood poured freely from the massive wound, the captive would be dead in seconds, and most of it would end up in the basin. She honestly considered it somewhat of an inefficient waste, but it was not her project. The acolyte cut his own arm, allowing his blood to mix into the basin. Good, good. He turned to face her, eyes darkened with a bestial bloodlust. He wanted to attack her like the Jedi, to prove he was strong...

Hmm he would need to learn how to control that side of himself better, then again, his personal views he had already stated would suggest he felt otherwise. That he needed to become more of a beast. Not exactly her tastes in students.

"That should be enough, bring me the basin and I will begin preparations for the blood," she instructed. "You shall begin cutting the bone and the hide you require for your armaments."

 

[Tehkyram]

Objective: Forge the blade and prepare the hide.
Allies: Taeli Raafhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/5945-taeli-raaf/

Tehkyram let his killing frenzy run its course as he turned his focus to his self-inflicted wound. As he focused on the pain and let it pulsate through his arm, the wound began to scab over very quickly, the blood hardening and solidifying as it was exposed to the air. The pain still stinging, Tehkyram turned is attention to the basin, telekinetically raising it up and presenting it to Taeli before setting it down before her. With that taken care of, it was time to get down to business. Summoning the tools to his side, he cut open the corpse, pulling out a suitable size bone. The smell of putrefaction burst forward from the body, hardly bothering Tehkyram. He was more than used to the smell of death at this point.

Taking the bone, he used a wide variety of blades to obsessively whittle away at it, with large and small cuts alike. He relied more on feeling than technique, letting his dark impulses guide his hands. It felt as if he was torturing the bone, making it scream as he skinned and flayed the calcined flesh. It was oddly invigorating. Tehkyram's focus was intense, virtually unbreakable. The galaxy around him ceased to exist while he was working. And surely enough, he had already carved out a suitable blade from the bone. With a bit more effort, the blade was sharpened, ready to tear flesh.

With that task complete, Tehkyram began to skin the Rancor to best of his abilities, putting his new blade to the test. It cut well and good, and soon enough, a massive coat of rancor skin had been stripped from the flesh. From there, he made sure to scrape any remaining flesh off the skin, as well as the lower membrane which would undermine the tanning process. Very tedious and repetitive, but he applied himself to the task with painstaking accuracy.The knife worked quite well as far as mundane tools went. After finishing the flesh he moved onto the remaining bone, extracting the small pieces of bone and whittling them down into the proper size studs.

The total process took around two hours, and by the time he was done, he laid his work out before Taeli. "I have finished," he announced. "The blade is sharp and cuts true. The pelt is ready for tanning, and the bone studs are ready for electroplating. You are free to inspect the craftsmanship yourself." There was a scab on his arm. How long had that been there for? He frowned and peeled it off, revealing the clean and tender skin below.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Tehkyram"]

As the acolyte began working on the flesh and bone, Taeli spent some time just observing his technique. Efficient, and yet reveling in the crudeness of it all, the acolyte seemed to go about his work with a single goal to the silence of the world around him. She did not need to oversee this process, so Taeli began her work on preparing the baptism of the weapon and armor the acolyte wanted to create. With a deep breath, purple lightning, energies of the dark side erupted from her fingers into the blood mixture. As she channeled her dark power into the basin, she began chanting a spell.

"Kraujas nirshosi ir dyktis, nuritsi tu'iyia midwan. Kraujas nirshosi ir aukotis, kakiji tu'iyia nuniji. Tutai a mnaiyirsosutokas iw ri Jin Tnirma!"

Lightning stopped as she finished her spell, a potion floating over and pouring its sinister green contents into the basin. The blood was bubbling now, small arcs of dark energy danced across its surface and steam released into the air like wisps of ozone. He presented his work to her, and she examined with the critical eye expected.

"Adequate for what you desire," she finally said. "Very well. Submerge the bone and hide into the basin, keeping your hands within. It will burn... the pain will be intense as the dark energies within course through you. You must harness that pain, and turn your thoughts to shaping and imbuing the properties you wish into the items. Channel the dark side back into the basin. You will be the focal point, and while you are... you will experience a taste of truer power."

She stepped aside so he could proceed.

 

[Tehkyram]

Objective: Suffer.
Allies: Taeli Raafhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/5945-taeli-raaf/

Tehkyram said nothing. Words were always subservient to action, and so some action required no words. Taking the bone knife, he raised it above his head, then plunged it deep into the basin in a singular stabbing motion. The liquid hardly splashed, remaining thick, viscous and dense, oozing up as it was displaced. And as the sludge arose, it filled Tehkyram's whole body with an invigorating and burning pain. It was as if his entire body was alight, that some horrific and vitriolic spirit had taken hold of his body. Every ounce of him wanted to seize up, his body to surrender to the bestial madness and collapse into a gibbering and spastic wreck. His eyes went wide as his vision blurred and his ears clouded with the hellish cacophony of chaos and hatred.

But the Sith had predicted this, and so had planned things out in advance. In the midst of the chaos and pain of life, there was but one constant, one exit: Death. Closing his eyes, Tehkyam inhaled deeply and gave himself over to the void. He mentally returned himself to the cargo bay from his voyage to Amaltanna, that hold of putrefaction and decay. He slowed his breathing as he summoned the miasma back into his lungs, that feeling of decay, collapse, and entropy forming a spiritual cocoon around his self. The hate, anguish and despair of the alchemical ooze burned freely, but as long as Tehkyram was one with death and dying, he cared not. Pain was existence, as such non-existence was the only defense from pain. And so, Tehkyram endured. And as he endured, he let his energy pool, his strength grow. And with a massive mental push, he took the rampant chaotic energy that had built up around him and forced it back down through his hands and back into the basin from whence it came. Death existed exterior from life, and so death ruled over life. Through death, life could be controlled and brought to heel. It felt so clear, so empowering, as if he had communed with divine truth.

Yes, this was true power. Death was power over life. The abyss ruled the living. This was the truth of the universe. The orgiastic pain cooled, and his body returned to normal. This truth, this was the truth of existence. He retrieved the knife from the basin, holding it in his hands. It felt deathly cold to the touch, utterly removed from the burning cauldron of pain that anointed it. The bone was utterly palid and more akin to stone than something once married to flesh. Everything about it was wrong, it was alien, utterly divorced from the living world.

"It's... It's perfect..." Tehkyram awed.The total majesty of his creation was overwhelming.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Tehkyram"]

"And it is only half of your task done," she said. "Finish the deed and then you can admire what you have wrought into this galaxy."

The knife was not something she would ever personally make, but each to their own. She felt it was a crude expression of the dark side, not truly a work of art as alchemy could create. But for the acolyte, it was something he had created, with her assistance, and it would always be beautiful for him. The first creations always were. She remembered, when she was an apprentice to Darth Praelior, assisting her former master with creating a new Sithspawn that she wasn't even sure was still alive on Widek.

She had far surpassed anything made by the Zeltron now.

"Your armor is next, and you must repeat the process that created the knife," she said. With a gesture, the basin of blood was suddenly crackling with dark energy again.

 

[Tehkyram]

Objective: And now, the Armor.
Allies: Taeli Raafhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/5945-taeli-raaf/

He took the knife, and in a test of its skill, scraped some excess fat and flesh off of the skin. It cut well and true, and seemed to disrupt flesh with the greatest of ease. The blade felt inimically hostile to the carbon-based material it was cutting, and that hostility made it the perfect cutting material. It was not just that the blade was attuned to death, it was also attuned to anti-life, a rejection of life and the living.

Satisfied with its cutting edge, he put the knife down and plunged the rancor skin deep into the basin. According to all known laws of fluidity, it shouldn't have fit at all. But it did, the basin consuming the skin as well as Tehkyram's arms feeding the flesh into the basin. It seemed to pull him in, inviting him to submerge his body deeper. And so to an extent he complied, letting his arms sink into the abyssal basin as he hunched down further and further. Eventually he was up to his elbows, his chest grazing the surface of the basin. This was different than the last time. This time it felt like a million tiny mouths kissing and lapping at his exposed flesh, seductively provoking him into surrendering his will and diving in. But Tehkyram endured. He knew what he wanted and how to achieve it. No promises of pleasure or joy could tempt him into surrendering his own will. And he felt that will build up inside of him, and he knew it was time to extract the skin. With a tremendous mental and physical push he pulled back up against a thick, resistant liquid and extracted the skin right out of the liquid basin. Blood splashed out in an arc, splashing across the lab. As he pulled the skin up and held it up victoriously, the blood dripped down on him.

Curiously enough, the blood on Tehkyram's arms, chest, and now the rest of his body, was beginning to dissolve into his skin. Curiously enough, it felt good. It felt natural. It felt...

...It felt bestial.

"This will be more than adequate for my needs," he understated to Taeli. He telekinetically lifted his leather up and hung it to dry on a pair of hooks hanging from the ceiling. "At this point, all that remains are the more mundane aspects of creation. Stay or leave, it matters not."